BASF Performance Materials’ European plants achieve REDcert certification, enabling mass balance solutions with renewable and recycled feedstocks for sustainable plastics.
BASF’s Performance Materials division has reached a significant sustainability milestone, as all its production sites across Europe are now officially REDcert certified. This achievement follows the company’s transition to fully renewable electricity across its European operations in January 2025. REDcert² is a recognized certification standard that ensures the use of sustainable feedstock in the chemical sector, validating BASF’s commitment to more environmentally responsible production practices. With the recent inclusion of the polyurethane manufacturing facility in Malacky, Slovakia, the division now offers its customers certified mass balance solutions from all ten of its European plants.
Alexander Weiser, Head of BASF Performance Materials Europe, emphasized the importance of this step, stating, “At BASF, we do not only talk about ideas; we also deliver proof points. This certification is another milestone on #OurPlasticsJourney, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and circularity in plastics. With that, we are ready to meet our customers’ needs in sustainable solutions today and tomorrow.” His comments reflect the company’s strategic focus on embedding sustainability throughout its product portfolio and operational processes.
BASF Performance Materials continues to evolve its offerings toward lower carbon footprints. Its broad portfolio encompasses engineering plastics, polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and specialty polymers. Customers in Europe can now access certified materials across all these product categories. The certification process is grounded in a mass balance methodology: alternative, sustainable raw materials are introduced at the early stages of production in a certified facility and are then allocated to the resulting products. This approach ensures traceability and accountability, allowing BASF to transparently offer products that are partially derived from renewable sources.
The REDcert² certification framework supports the verification of sustainable material flows within the chemical industry. BASF leverages this standard to track and reduce the use of fossil-based feedstocks in its operations. This can be achieved through the Biomass Balance approach, which integrates renewable raw materials into the production chain, or via ChemCycling®, a process that incorporates recycled feedstocks. Both methods ensure that sustainable inputs are reliably accounted for and credited to the final products, demonstrating tangible environmental benefits.
By attaining REDcert² certification for all its European production sites, BASF Performance Materials strengthens its ability to deliver on its sustainability promises. This accomplishment underscores the company’s ongoing efforts to drive circularity in plastics and provide innovative, environmentally responsible solutions to meet the evolving needs of its customers. It also exemplifies how large-scale chemical manufacturers can integrate renewable and recycled feedstocks into mainstream production without compromising quality or performance.
Through these measures, BASF positions itself as a leader in sustainable materials, reinforcing both its environmental stewardship and its commitment to offering customers credible, certified options in a market increasingly focused on low-carbon and circular solutions.
